Mr Sam Kwa’na, the Chairman, Maize Association of Nigeria, Benue chapter, has assured Nigerians of bountiful harvest this year.
Kwa’na gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Friday.
He said that maize farmers had worked very hard in taking adequate care of their farms with a view to having bountiful harvest this year.
He said: ”We are optimistic that we will reap bountifully during this year’s harvesting period.
”Even now, some of our members who planted the crop early have started harvesting theirs and the yields are good.
The association chairman further said that members embarked on massive cultivation of maize this year “in order to tackle food insecurity in the country.”
He said that the harvest would have been much more than what they were expecting, if they had received improved seedlings.
According to him, what most farmers planted were not improved seedlings.
Kwa’na said, ”Since the commencement of this cropping season, we had expected to get the improved seedlings from Kaduna and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi but they have not been made available to us.”
He however said that seedlings could be planted anytime it was made available, provided there was water.
”Even during dry season, it can be planted and it will yield bountifully. So, it is never too late to plant improved seedlings,” he said. (NAN)
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